20 DIGS.NET | 3.6.2020
P R O F I L E | W H E N C O LO R C A M E I N T O P L AY
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PHOTOGRAPHS
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COURTESY
OF
©
FILIPPO
BAMBERGHI/PHOTOFOYER;
DESIGN
BY
STUDIO
GUM
ASMUNDO DI GISIRA
Looking to the symbol and shades of an ancient Sicilian
city, Studio GUM imagines a vivaciously drawn hotel.
I
n Catania on the island of Sicily, Studio
GUM transformed a private noble
residence into the boutique hotel
Asmundo di Gisira, animating it with a
uniquely folkloric intervention.
By "reading in a contemporary way" the
stories of their lives, Studio GUM founders
Valentina Giampiccolo and Giuseppe
Minaldi aimed to create "a new interpretation
of the city" so that those intrigued by the
legends of Catania might better understand
the culture. This meant restoring all existing
facets of the building—window frames,
decorated wood, and stucco and frescoed
ceilings—while also installing herringbone
parquet wood floors in matte black and
reusing the remains of brick concrete
discovered in the building's mezzanine.
Visually, the narrative-driven hotel touches
on themes that are dear to the people of
Catania, most significantly its patron saint
Agata—the muse of the Sant'Agata room.
Lushly hued in red and gold to evoke the
spiritual, the space indeed feels sacred,
while the Colapesce room, awash in blue
and coral tones, pays tribute to the legend of
a young diver of treasures for 12th-century
Sicilian rulers. Particularly pictorial is the
use of green, a tone that backdrops the bar
room and helps recreate an atmosphere
of ancient gardens inspired by the
mythological figure of Billonia who "handed
out flowers and good mood." A host of
artwork, meanwhile, including a painting by
Sergio Fiorentino, a sculpture by Domenico
Pellegrino and wallpaper by Swiss artist
Daniel Egnéus, completes a vibrant canvas
for experiencing a past filtered through the
shades of today. studiogum.it
Visually, the
narrative-driven
hotel touches on
themes that are
dear to the people
of Catania, most
significantly
its patron
saint Agata.
THE CHARACTERS
OF THE LOCAL
CULTURE IN
CATANIA BRING
COLOR AND LIFE
TO A SINGULAR
BESPOKE HOTEL,
A CHRYSALIS OF
ART AND CREATIVE
THINKING.
